KW-17 Playing catch up with the wind

Pigs, potatoes and parties.

The long-ass haul through the cold, dark winter and the unending grey drizzle of early spring is over. I’m calling it. The sun is both visible and warming for large portions of the day, the pigs are sunbathing, and humans have started to come and visit!

There will be a better photo of the Pig House Mark Three soon, I am sure. Probably with pigs in it. Here are the people who made it, standing in front of it so that that you can’t see it properly. It’s very fancy, and we think the pigs will be content.

Every year, I mark the 1st May (Happy International Workers’ Day. Don’t forget to stick it to da man!) with a fire and promise myself to remember to invite people to come and join me in the conflagration next time. This year, I actually told other people about it, and in plenty of time. And the best ones came!

We made a bloody big fire, sang songs, told terrible jokes and went for an Indian meal. And, almost as important and good human interactions, we built Pig House version 3. I say we. I mostly kept out of the way. This morning, the piggers are going over to their summer field - which is pretty much what makes Beltaine different from other May Day celebrations. It also marks the day when you take the animals to their summer pastures.

Pictures of the three little pigs in trotting around on fresh grass will be coming soon. Excellent work was done on the integrity of their fencing as well. We’re all pretty sure they aren’t going to break out this time. And the fact that half of the fenceage is wooden, not electric, means that you can come and pet them as well, without shocking either yourself or your petted pig of choice. Which everyone enjoys!

Look at those temperatures and marvel at the crazy heat. Then look at the rain column and wonder to yourself - why can we not have just a little bit of time to dry out and get the earth turned over and the seeds in the ground?

In the garden, I think I mentioned the grains and the overwintered crops in a previous newsletter - so this is all future food that is way in front of where I would normally be (because I’ve not really done any overwintered crops, and definitely no winter grains before!), but with everything else, I am crazy behind. And the weather for this week isn’t super encouraging either. I’m not going to complain about the rain too much, because come August, we’re going to be praying for it like crazy, but it really would be nice to have three full days without it, just so I can get at least the damn potatoes in the ground.

The potager. One of these six quarters is slightly weedy.

So, this week:

• Volunteers are coming. Three of them, and they are all planning on staying longer periods.

• Another documentary people are coming. I think we are going to talk more interestingly than the origins story that I have already done a dozen times already. I hope so.

• I have to clear ground. The Choopy Chop is trapped at the mechanic’s place. I think I need to really impress upon Mr Repairman how essential it is that I get it back. If I was of a paranoid bent, I might believe that my jobs don’t get quite the same priority as other people’s jobs. “Phone back at the end of next week” is getting boring.

• The big transformation this week will be in the Greens break. Gonna do a lot of work there.

• And the potatoes.

And now, it is time to spring into action, and see about getting the piggers from their slightly over-muddied house over to the summer field without Brunhilda going for too much of a wander on the way.

And until next time, much love from

your, Pirate Ben

xoxo

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